You may have noticed some folks yesterday with dark smudges on their foreheads.
This does not signal a lack of care for personal grooming, but the ashes which were distributed in some of the churches on what is often called Ash Wednesday. This day signals, for many mainline Christian churches, the 40-day season called Lent, which is a time of preparation for the high holy days of Christianity, Holy Week and Easter.
The gospel for this coming Sunday in many Christian churches tells the story of what happened to Jesus immediately after his baptism, when the Holy Spirit invited him into the desert for a 40-day time of prayer, fasting, and reflecting upon the ministry he was about to begin.
Lent is a time for the followers of Christ to enter into a similar 40-day period, in which we strive to grow in holiness by using three traditional tools of spiritual growth: fasting and other forms of self-denial, increased prayer, and almsgiving, or sharing resources with the needy.
The ashes given to Catholics and others on Ash Wednesday are a double sign. They are a reminder that we will all die, and now, while we are alive, is the time to strive to draw close to the Lord.
Secondly, they are a traditional sign of repentance of our sinfulness.
May this holy season be a blessing for all who participate in it, and may we emerge at Easter as renewed people, sporting our Easter finery, as well as clean foreheads!
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